“Dr Irena’s” Health Tips – No. 3

We recently had contact with a retired UK doctor who now lives in North Cyprus and met her at Kamiloglu Hospital – Kyrenia Medical Centre where she was looking after reception/patient liaison along with other English speaking people who are giving their time to ensure a good medical service for English speaking expatriates.

Irena kindly offered to write some articles about basic health issues which may be of interest to our readers.

By Irena Hulson

Diabetes

Diabetes facts

• Diabetes is a chronic condition associated with abnormally high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood.

• Insulin produced by the pancreas lowers blood glucose.

• Absence or insufficient production of insulin causes diabetes.

• The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 and type 2. Former names for these conditions were insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes, or juvenile onset and adult onset diabetes.

• Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue.

• Diabetes is diagnosed by blood sugar (glucose) testing.

• The major complications of diabetes are both acute and chronic.

◊Acute complications: dangerously elevated blood sugar (hyperglycemia), abnormally low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) due to diabetes medications may occur.

◊Chronic complications: disease of the blood vessels (both small and large) which can damage the feet, eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart may occur.

Eating and Diabetes

You can take good care of yourself and your diabetes by learning:-

• what to eat
• how much to eat
• when to eat

Making wise food choices can help you feel good every day:-

• lose weight if you need to
• lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other problems caused by diabetes.

Healthy eating helps keep your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, in your target range. Physical activity and, if needed, diabetes medicines also help. The diabetes target range is the blood glucose level suggested by diabetes experts for good health. You can help prevent health problems by keeping your blood glucose levels on target.

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Diabetes and Blood Glucose Levels

What should MY blood glucose levels be?

Talk with your health care provider about your blood glucose target levels and write them here. (Print out this chart for handy reference)

My Target Blood Glucose Levels

How can I keep my blood glucose levels on target?

You can keep your blood glucose levels on target by:-

• making wise food choices
• being physically active
• taking medicines if needed

For people taking certain diabetes medicines, following a schedule for meals, snacks, and physical activity is best. However, some diabetes medicines allow for more flexibility. You will need to work with your health care team to create a diabetes plan that’s best for you.

Editor’s Note

The opinions, advice or proposals within the article are purely those of the author and do not, in any way, represent those of Cyprusscene.com